First dams, now bridges? Some shaky spans in Southern California

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The eroding spillways at the Oroville dam drew attention to other possible problems with our water infrastructure. Now, a new report says there are more than a few bridges in Southern California that need some serious attention.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association released a report, based on government data, ranking America's worst bridges. And there's actually some good news.

Nationwide, fewer bridges are structurally deficient this year over last year. And more good news, California has steadily been improving its ranking relative to other states. Less than six percent of California bridges are structurally deficient, according to the federal bridge inventory.

The bad news is that the top 14 most-traveled underperforming bridges are in California, and some of them are in the LA area.

The worst of them is in Gardena, just north of the 405 interchange. It runs over the Dominguez Channel, and it has been deemed "structurally deficient." An inspection revealed that while the underpinnings of the bridge are in good shape, the deck is not.

All told, the industry group estimates it will take about $13 billion to repair the 4000 suspect bridges in California. The Governor's budget sets aside more than that - about $17 billion - for bridge and culvert repair over the next ten years.

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Join Take Two each weekday at 9 AM where we’ll translate the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that people are talking about. Find us on 89.3 KPCC, hosted by A Martinez.